Leaking shower

Hi all,

I'm really new to this and would really appreciate any advice.

I got a call from my PM (one of those big national agencies) today that there is a leak from the shower on the first floor of my 2 story townhouse (about 10 years old now). The tenant noticed the walls on the ground floor (that is sort of under the shower) to show some signs of water / moisture marks.

The PM recommended sending a plumber (who also does tiling) to inspect the issue. Apparently, this mob uses some sort of special camera to determine where / what is causing the leak. I said ok - lets go ahead and do that.

While I wait for updates, I would really want to seek some advice such as whether that camera investigation thing is real or just a gimmick, what are the questions I should be asking, should I be asking the tradies to take pictures to show what's wrong, is a second quote always needed (the PM said this mob is very good and reasonable with their quotes + they do plumbing and tiling), is it a advisable to go with tradies from the PM (do they get some form of kick backs and inflate quotes), etc.

I also want to be prepared for what to expect in terms of cost... Is this a $1k job or potentially a $10k job.

Thanks all!

Pic of shower for reference.
Shower

HTML:

<a href="https://ibb.co/zXjytw5"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/K2RM8HG/Shower.jpg" alt="Shower" border="0"></a>

 

at this stage, you don't know what the problem is.... so you don't know how to fix it or what the likely costs will be


Your plumber will work like a detective to find out wether its the shower taps ,
shower waste or the shower tiles or the water lines



The camera will be an endoscope or a drain camera or a thermal imaging camera
or all of the above

You will have to pay the plumber a diagnostic fee.
That will be for his time, his testing gear and his experience .

He will then probably give you an estimate to remedy .


so to get better answers , you need to ask better questions .Be patient and wait for the report, and don't put the cart before the horse.

 

If you think the camera is a gimmick, what do you want them to do instead? Steadily tear out things including tiles and wall until they find the issue?

If you dont trust the pm get your own plumber in. The worst thing is second guess the pm when you have no real reason to.

 

Trainee, please dont misunderstand me.

I do trust my PM and I do believe (really) that the camera that the plumber is said to use is the right diagnostic tool. What I want to confirm is, with the collective expert experience here, that I'm not wrong to trust my PM. I'm sorry if my original post was read the wrong way.

Thanks for your reply.

 

Apologies to all. I might have come across as putting the cart before the horse.

I'm just like that, always worrying too much and preparing for the worst and thinking of contingencies (what to do if this happens, what to do if that happens). It's probably a habit I need to correct.

But back to some of my questions (hopefully, its not premature to ask these)...
- what are the right / smart questions I should be asking the PM when I get the update,
- Is a second quote needed (the PM said this mob is very good and reasonable with their quotes + they do plumbing and tiling). I generally believe people quite easily, but I also want to be sure I'm not a fool.
- Is it advisable to simply go with tradies from the PM (do they get some form of kick backs and inflate quotes), and under what circumstances (e.g. big quotes) should a second opinion/quote be sought? Honestly, I'd rather keep things easy, simple and quick and just go with the PM's recommendation, but as mentioned above, I don't want to look back in hindsight and realise that I should have done something differently.

Thanks.

 

I think it would depend on what the first investigation shows. It might either be a simple plumbing issue that can be easily rectified or a complicated issue with your waterproofing or something in between.
I would definitely look at a second quote/opinion of its a sizable job. I would also be looking for some sort of guarantee that the leak is definitely repaired.

 

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

I've received an update from the leak investigation and have basically 2 options.

Test results:

• Pressure test to shower in wall piping (Hot and cold water supply lines) - PASS
• Flood test to shower screen, walls and shower recess - FAIL
• Test of waste supply to shower -PASS
• Waterproofing membrane - FAIL
• Thermal imaging - FAIL
• Results found shower recess to be leaking through grouting and caulking breakdown. The floor tiles have water trapped underneath which has become spongy when stepped on.
• Due to the timber sub-floor of the shower having become water damaged we provide 2 options below.

Option 1. Full shower Re-seal - Grouting & Caulking

• Tiler to strip and remove showers current failed caulking and grouting
• Fully re-grout shower recess.
• Fully re-caulk shower recess.
• Apply grout sealer.
• Materials & Labour - $720.00 inc gst

Option 2. Shower Re-build

• Tiler to strip and remove current defective shower and flooring.
• Removal of shower screen and set aside for re-install upon completion.
• Tiler to remove all trade waste from site.
• Remove shower recess flooring that has become water damaged.
• Supply and install new timber to shower floor to replace existing rotten flooring.
• Supply and install new screed to shower base with correct fall.
• Supply and install new waterproofing membrane.
• Supply and install new chrome outlet waste.
• Supply and install new flooring tiles closest match to existing.
• Supply and install new caulking and grouting.
• Re-install shower screen.
• Apply grout sealer.
• Removal of all trade waste from site.
• Materials & Labour - $4,490.00 inc gst

Can I please ask for your opinions? Which option is recommended?

Are the cost reasonable? Note: The shower area is about 2 x 1m as shown in the pic. Shower

 

Is there a guarantee for both options ?

 

Hi Beano,

I actually should ask that question. Thanks.

For the quick fix option, they state "No long term guarantee". For the rebuild, they say "Recommended".

 

Another question I have is... It looks like the scope of work is just for the shower floor and not the walls. Will that be ok? I've read some doing just the shower floor and some saying that the walls should be done as well.

 

I have the same problem
The house and bathroom was built in 1925 still original tiles
Opening up the walls now (from the non tile side to see the water is coming through the grouting or base.
I do not want to rip out the nice tiled wall if it is the floor

 

That is a good point!

 

I'm currently organising a full shower seal (floor and walls) for a property I'm managing in Marrickville with 25yr warranty, the quotes came in ranging from $645 to $850. The difference is this is a building with a concrete floor, whereas ours sounds like the flooring and timbers might be damaged.

It might be worth having a chat to the guys who quoted to understand how much damage there might be.

 

Hi Meristone,

Thanks for sharing that! Wow! Thats a world of difference!
Thanks for the tip, i will certainly check in with them to understand the damage.

 

Thanks Y-man for sharing.

Hope you don't mind me asking a few questions on your experience.

It looks like yours had additional items:
- some wall timber
- wall tiles ripped and replaced (assume this is the case as wall timber was worked on?)
- leaky wall pipe
Is this correct?

When you said new shower base... Did you mean the ones that are not tiled? Are they a cheaper alternative to tiled?

Did you have to match tiles, or did your build actually include changing every single tile in your bathroom?

I'm trying to ascertain if your rebuild is actually better value and what you thought of the company that did yours. Did they provide any form of guarantee?

Thanks.

 

Wow! Thanks for sharing all that with the pics.

Assuming only the tiles near the bathtub didn't need to be pulled out?

I'm not sure if mine insurance would cover it, but I'm guessing not. However, I thought I read somewhere that the insurance won't cover the shower repairs, but may cover the water damages caused to the timber / structure.

any insurance experts in this forum?